Thrombogenesis, atherogenesis and angiogenesis in vascular disease: a new 'vascular triad'

Amongst the components of the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis are the tendency to thrombus formation (i.e., thrombogenesis) and the loss of endothelial cell integrity. The endothelium is also implicated in atherogenesis, as vasa vasorum are present in the adventitia and media at a higher density in atherosclerotic tissue, and that neovascularisation leading to collateral growth bypassing obstruction and/or stenoses provides important alternative routes to feeding distal tissues. The development of these new blood vessels is the process of angiogenesis. The present 'viewpoint' article will explore the relationships between the three processes. There is considerable evidence that atherogenesis and thrombogenesis are intimately linked, but angiogenesis in cardiovascular disease is a recently developed concept. We propose a new 'vascular triad' of these abnormal pathophysiological processes, leading to an alternative view of the pathogenesis of vascular disease. Indeed, we suggest that angiogenesis is an important aspect of the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease, impacting with both thrombogenesis and atherogenesis, in a new vascular triad (the 'Birmingham vascular triad').